


Literary Love

by lalalenii



Category: Glee
Genre: AU, Blam, M/M, author!kurt, single dad!blaine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 10:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3806305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalalenii/pseuds/lalalenii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine only planned to take his daughter to get a book signed by her favourite author. He didn't expect this. (Author!Kurt/Single!Dad Blaine)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Literary Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [annawarbler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/annawarbler/gifts), [yas (seelenbruder)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=yas+%28seelenbruder%29).



> Hi. Woah. I haven't written in a long time, much less published anything. This plot bunny wouldn't let me go though, and I want to thank Yas for pushing and encouraging me to write this.

“Daddy! Come on, stop talking!” Blaine’s lively seven-year-old tugs on his arm forcefully, almost causing him to bump into the family that is waiting in line before them.

He looks at Sam apologetically before turning to his daughter. “Alice!” he chides. “If you can’t behave we’re leaving. Right away.” He can almost hear the gears rattling in her brain as she contemplates if it’s worth it to throw a fit, her eyes narrowing on him as if she’s trying to figure out if he’s serious. She decides on a pout - Blaine swears she figured out his weak spots, because there’s no way in hell he can resist her angelic face. He’s relieved that there will be no tantrum though. For now.

“But I wanna see him!” she says in a small voice and Blaine can feel his heart crack.

“I know you do sweetie, but you need to be a bit quieter. You’re disturbing the other people here, and you wanna make a good impression, right?”

Alice nods vigorously, causing her curls to bounce.

The crowd moves forward and Blaine ts a hand on her back lightly to keep her at his side. They’re at the corner now and they can almost see him.

\---                                      

“ _Him_ ” also known as Kurt Hummel, author of the best-selling children’s book series “Finn’s Friends”. Ever since Santa had brought her the first part for Christmas, Alice hadn’t stopped talking about them. After reading her the series at night multiple times, Blaine found that he liked them as well - they were funny and uplifting but still carried a deeper meaning. Blaine loved that the characters were so diverse - Finn and his friends all had different families, from LGBT to patchwork and the illustrations showed kids with several different ethnicities. Blaine couldn’t help but be proud his daughter had chosen the series as her favourite.

When part five was finally announced and there was a book signing scheduled at a children’s book store in Columbus, it was only natural they went.

Blaine had done some research on Kurt Hummel beforehand. He seemed very private and held back, but Blaine was intrigued. He appeared to be an Ohio native; in an interview he mentioned growing up in a small town, but didn’t specify which. (He wondered whether it was far from their home in Westerville). His official homepage stated New York City as his town of residence, though. The biography there also told Blaine about the musical education Kurt had enjoyed, and his internship at Vogue dot com which eventually got him into professional writing. Blaine also might have gotten a little bit sidetracked by the picture that was prominently displayed on the website. It showed a handsome man that couldn’t be too far from his own age; a strong jaw, piercing blue eyes and brown hair that was coiffed in an artful way Blaine could only dream of. Not that he’d already familiarized himself with the classy black-and-white picture in his daughter’s books. He’d barely even glanced at them…

That was a lie.

In his defense - he only went to his website to see whether there was some address he could contact. The books were perfect reading material for his elementary school English class, and it would be amazing if Kurt could do some sort of reading at their school, or even just their town. Blaine wasn’t sure whether this constituted as a ‘professional inquiry’ and it _definitely_ wasn’t fan-mail, so the signing was an opportunity to get in touch with some people he just couldn’t pass up.

***

So here they were, at _Cover to Cover_ , to get “Finn’s Friends 5: Summer Vacation” and have it signed by the author himself.

Blaine had asked Sam, his best friend, to drive them. Once Blaine had given the news of their excursion to his daughter, she’d spilled her breakfast cereal over the entire table in excitement, so he didn’t quite trust her to stay calm during the car ride, short as it may be. Plus “Uncle Sam” was Alice’s favourite, and a trip with the three of them was long overdue anyway.

“Uncle Sam, let me sit on your shoulders, I wanna see!” She was attacking his best friend now, who luckily was used to her wild disposition already.

“Ali, didn’t you forget something,” Blaine reminds gently but firmly. She’d been really good for a while but lately she was forgetting her ‘ _please_ ’s and ‘ _thank you_ ’s a lot, especially when she got excited. Blaine knows that it’s probably just a phase, but he always feels judged by strangers when he has to remind her to be polite in public, like they were making assumptions about his parenting skills.

“Pleaaaaaaase! Please Uncle Sam!”

Sam chuckles. “Sure, come on up little one” he says, picking her up, which makes her squeal. Blaine smiles, he loves how Sam gets along with his daughter. He’s fantastic with her, which is probably due to him spending a lot of time with his younger siblings in high school, but to Blaine it proves yet again that his long since passed crush on Sam was maybe unfortunate but not stupid. He’s an amazing guy.

Alice had now started exclaiming loudly that she could already see her favourite author. Blaine shushes her, while Sam gently pats her shin to calm her. Sighing, Blaine rubs the bridge of his nose. As happy as he is to meet the author, he’s starting to feel the beginnings of a tension headache. Thankfully the crowd seems to move faster now and they are able to move forward again.

Sam steps a bit closer. “You okay?” He winces as Alice pulls at his hair to stay upright.

“Yeah... it was just a rough day at school yesterday and then Ali wouldn’t go to bed… she’s so excited, she loves these books so much!”

Sam gives a sympathetic hum, then bumps his shoulder. “You should be excited, too! I know you fancy him, and not just for what he writes.”

“What are you talking about?” Blaine hisses, feeling the colour rise in his cheeks.

“You’ve been ogling the huge poster at the end of the queue for a good twenty minutes while we waited, and you haven’t stopped talking about this for, like, weeks. I swear you talk about it more than Ali. You totally wanna do him.”

“I- I do not!” Blaine splutters, the feeling of embarrassment rising hotly in his chest. “And I’d appreciate if you didn’t talk like this in front of my daughter!”

He hopes that no one has heard their conversation, carefully looking around while they move forward in the queue. Sam shrugs and leaves it at that, but he’s still grinning smugly.

They’re closer to the table now, and if Blaine steps to the side a bit he can see the desk where Kurt Hummel is signing his books. He can make out some of the conversations he has with his fans and the fact that every child walks away from the table with a huge grin plastered on their faces indicates that he knows how to talk with kids. For some reason, that leaves Blaine feeling weirdly satisfied.

They come forward much quicker now. Sam puts Alice down again and she clutches to his hand now, still bouncing excitedly but also a little nervous. Blaine understands, he can feel his own pulse speed up. He feels silly for acting like that, after all Kurt Hummel is just a normal person. Who happened to write what Blaine considers the most progressive children’s books series of the century, if not, like, ever.

Finally the family before them gets ushered to the table and they’re next.

Alice attempts to whisper to him, but really, she’s talking at a normal volume. “Is that really him Daddy? He made the books?” The author must have heard them, because he’s glancing up and flashing a smile at them. Blaine can feel himself blush.

“Yes that’s him.” He fishes the book they previously bought out of his bag and hands it to her. “Now, do you remember what I told you to say?” She nods vigorously, pressing the book to her chest.

The group ahead of them leaves, also all with happy faces, and the security guy gestures for them to move on.

Before he can stop her, Alice skips ahead, smacking the book on the table in front of her idol. “Hi, I love your books will you please write in mine?”

Kurt Hummel chuckles as Blaine, followed by Sam, approaches the table. He puts a hand on his daughter’s shoulder and mouths a silent ‘hello’ to the author. His eyes twinkle, and he’s even more handsome in person. Damn. Blaine can’t let himself think like that about his daughter’s favourite author.

“I’m glad you like them! What’s your name?” he says, reaching for the book and opening it.

“Alice!”

“I’m Kurt”

“Your books are my favourite” she tells him, a little shy now.

“Really? I’m happy to hear that! Do you also have a favourite character?”

“Yes!” she beams. “I like Rosie! She’s really cool, and her parents are gay, just like my dad!” Blaine’s heart skips a beat. He’d known Rosie was her favourite, but he’d always assumed it was because of their mutual love for books. Suddenly he feels overcome with the need to hug Alice and kiss her rosy cheeks and tell her he loves her.

Kurt Hummel glances at him and Blaine’s chest swells with pride. Of course, though, Alice doesn’t stop there. “That means he wants to marry another dad someday!” she explains knowingly. Blaine huffs and Kurt grins at them.

“You’re a very smart girl” he says while signing her book.

“My dad told me that!” Alice informs him. “He’s a teacher, that means he’s really smart too and he knows lots of stuff. And he said his biggest dream is that you read your book in his class!”

“Alice!” Blaine hisses, cheeks flushing, but the author only laughs.

“Is that so?” As if it wasn’t already bad enough, she answers the rhetoric question with a nod. “Well…” Kurt hesitates, scrutinizing Blaine, before turning around to a woman with a tight ponytail standing behind him, presumably his agent or publicist. They talk in hushed voices, and Blaine tries to tune out the conversation they’re apparently not meant to hear.

The woman suddenly stares at him, narrowing her eyes, and Blaine feels like a deer in headlights. He has to admit she looks a tiny bit scary. Suddenly she smirks, whispering something to Kurt, which causes him to blush.

She disappears in the back of the room while Kurt returns to them with a smile. “Can you hold on just a second?” he asks, sliding Alice’s book across the table to her. Blaine can hear the people behind them starting to get impatient. What is going on? Are they going to get kicked out?

The woman returns, a copy of “Finn’s Friends 5” in her hands. Blaine’s gaze falls to the name tag she’s wearing. It tells him her name is Ms Lopez. Her whole everything tells him better not to mess with her. Kurt takes the book from her and holds it out for Blaine.

“Wha-”

“Please, take it. For free.” he says sweetly.

“Oh. But we already have-”

“Just. Put it in your classroom or something. For your kids. But you should probably read it again first.” Kurt tilts his head slightly and stares into Blaine’s eyes, who is slightly taken aback. 

“Of course, I always go through the material I hand out to my class. But this really is too kind, I couldn’t possibly-” Ms Lopez snorts behind him and Kurt throws her a dirty glance.

“Please Mr. Anderson-” “Blaine. Uhm. Blaine Anderson.”

“Please Blaine” Kurt says, more urgently now as one of the organizers gestures for him to wrap it up. “If you don’t have any use for it, I’m sure your school’s library will happily take it!”

Blaine still hesitates. He hates being given things for no reason, and there are probably so many people who can’t afford the book, so-

Before he gets to finish his thought, though, Sam, who had been waiting at the side for the whole encounter suddenly appears next to him.

“That’s so nice of you” he says, taking the book from Kurt, who looks grateful. “Thank you very much.”

“But-”

“Blaine.” Sam whispers. “Stop. He put his number in the book, so for god’s sake just take it. And go. You can keep flirting later.”

“I - what? Oh.” Blaine blushes to the roots of his hair. Kurt studies him intently, trying to figure out if his message has finally gotten across. “Uhm. Thank you.” The security guy steps up to the table, clearing his throat.

“Come on, Ali, we have to leave now.” Sam tells her. Blaine snaps out of his haze, tears away is glance from Kurt (so, so handsome).

“Okay. Thank you Kurt, goodbye!” Alice says politely.

“Bye! I hope you enjoy the book” he smiles at her, then lifts his eyes to Blaine once again. And winks. _Shit_.

Blaine almost trips over his own feet as one of the employees shows them to the exit. He glances back again, but Kurt is already engrossed with the cute pair of twins that was in line behind them.

Sam shakes his head, grinning. “Shut up!” he groans, but his best friend just laughs and slaps his back. Thankfully Alice has remained blissfully oblivious to what is going on around her. Once they’re back in the car and she’s seated, she opens the book and touches the signature Kurt left for her with careful fingers.

“That’s amazing, little one,” Blaine says as she shows it to him and kisses her cheek, before hopping on the passenger seat.

Sam, having lived there for a few years, knows his way around Columbus and takes them to a nice diner. It’s past two already, and although Blaine had brought crackers and fruit they were all starving.

During the drive, Blaine opens the book Kurt gave him. In the middle there is a small card. Blaine flips it over and reads:

 

_For any professional or romantic enquiries about Kurt Hummel call him at:_

_(718)-206-0608_

_Ps. - work finishes at 8pm today_

 

Although the message has clearly been written by Ms. Lopez, Blaine’s heart still speeds up at the word ‘romantic’. He saves the number to his contacts and his thumb hovers over the call button, itching to press and find out if he didn’t just imagine what happened.

***

They’re lounging in a comfortable diner booth, filled to the brim with burgers, fries and milk shakes when Blaine asks Sam. “How did you know he put his number in the book?”

“Huh? Well, he was practically forcing it on you. I’m not the fastest guy, but he really wasn’t being subtle. You really didn’t get what he was doing?”

“No! I guess I’m out of practice in that department…”

Sam just sighs and slides down the booth a bit further. “Well now you have someone to practice with. I’d hang onto him. He seems like a catch” he yawns.

“Oh, I will” Blaine mumbles. He’d be an idiot to pass up a chance like that.

***

They do a bit of sight-seeing in the afternoon before driving back to Westerville. They drop off Sam and Blaine barely gets Alice to shower before she collapses in her bed, exhausted from the lack of sleep in the previous night and the excitement of the day, but not before carefully placing her newest acquisition on her bookshelf.

When Blaine closes the door to her room after kissing her good night it’s only 7:30.

He’s unable to focus on school work, so he spends some time cleaning the kitchen and writing a grocery list. He’s finished at eight, but doesn’t want to seem desperate, or like he’d been waiting so he decides not to call the number right away.

The next fifteen minutes pass painfully slowly and then Blaine can’t take it anymore. He takes a breath and, before he can stop himself, presses ‘call’.

While the phone rings he gets a minor panic attack - _what if this all was just some elaborate prank, what if the number is not even his, and now_ -

“Kurt Hummel.” Oh. It definitely is him. Wow. He’s actually talking to the popular children’s book author Kurt Hummel. Just then he remembers that he needs to actually _speak_ , as Kurt says “Hello? Anybody there?”

Blaine clears his throat. Oh god. Way to make an impression. “Uhm, yes. Sorry. This is Blaine Anderson speaking? Uhm. I don’t know if you remember but I was at your signing today at-”

“Of course I remember. You have a very cute family, how could I forget? I was wondering if you’d call.”

‘ _I was wondering if you’d call’._ The giddy feeling this sentence gives Blaine made him feel like a thirteen-year-old with his first crush. And Kurt had called him cute.

“Well, here I am,” he says lamely.

“Here you are.” Kurt’s voice sounds a little rough from the talking he must have been doing all way, but it’s light and friendly.

“Uhm, so about the reading thing…”

“Oh yes. Look, Blaine - can I call you Blaine? I can’t promise you anything. I have never done anything like this before. But I don’t want it to be completely off limits either. I’ll have to talk it over with my managers and publicists and check my schedule because I’m incredibly busy at the moment.”

“Of course, no, I understand. I wouldn’t expect anything Mr. Hummel, it’s honestly so generous that you’re even considering this.”

“First of all, call me Kurt. And what do you say if we get together after I finish the tour? I’ll be back in Ohio visiting family anyway, we could meet up for some coffee. In the meantime I’ll check in with everyone on my team and you can see where and how you’d like to set up something like this.”

Again, Blaine needs to remind himself to reply because he can’t believe this is actually happening. To him. An elementary school teacher in a small town in Ohio.

“Yes. Yes, that sounds great!” Blaine says a little breathlessly.

“Good” comes the reply. He pictures Kurt lounging at his hotel room, his hair wet from the shower, curled up on his bed in sweatpants, smiling while talking to Blaine. God he needs to stop.

“I’m really looking forward to working with you. Honestly, I never expected this.”

“It’s really no problem. Like I said, I can’t promise anything, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you so much.”

Kurt hums. “Blaine?”

“Yes?”

“I’m really looking forward to getting to know you.” Blaine’s heart skips a beat and he really hopes he did not just imagine the promise of more than just a professional relationship behind these words.

***

Once the book tour finishes, it all happens very quickly. Blaine and Kurt hit it off at an instance and meet up for three semi-professional meetings where they spend more time talking about each other’s lives than the planned reading. Kurt gives him his private cell number, since the one Ms Lopez - who Kurt refers to as Santana - wrote down apparently was for his work phone only. He’s mortified when Blaine tells him what she’d written on the note. After the third meeting Kurt tells him bluntly (and god, does Blaine find that sexy) that they need to stop beating around the bush and asks Blaine out on an official date.

They start going out, but after the reading is eventually hosted at the school Blaine teaches at (Blaine didn’t think it was possible to become even more infatuated with the author, but he’s more captivated than most of the kids) Kurt has to go back to New York.

Kurt’s grateful for technology, which allows them to stay in touch via skype calls, texts, and lengthy e-mails. He goes to see his family more often now - he has the time for it, a book can be written anywhere, and the next installment is not due for another year - and if seeing Blaine and his lovely daughter is his largest motive behind the visits, no one needs to know.

When school is out for both Blaine and Alice for summer, he takes her on a trip to New York. They have an amazing time sight-seeing and watching Broadway shows but for Blaine the highlight of the trip is when Kurt tells him he’s in love with him asks if they’re exclusive now and if he wants to be his boyfriend. Blaine kisses him passionately, then confirms that this was a _yes_ with a giddy laugh.

In July there is a slight setback: Blaine had been teaching English substituting for a woman on maternity leave and she’d be back in fall so that would leave him with only Music. The headmaster at his school had sent out recommendations for him to other schools though, and Blaine gets an amazing offer to teach both English and Music again - at a school in Oceanside.

He proposes the idea of moving to Alice. She’s unhappy about leaving her friends behind - Blaine is too, and he loves his class - but she’s open for the adventure and when he tells her that his means they’ll get to see Kurt a lot, she’s downright ecstatic.

Kurt had been appointed for bed time story duty once they’d started dating, and sometimes he writes short stories that he e-mails Blaine to read to Alice at night, but understandably she prefers them told by the man himself.

So they move to New York, and they get to see Kurt every weekend.

On New Year’s Eve, Blaine asks Kurt to move in with them, and is happy when he says yes, enveloping him in a tight hug. He claims the city noise interferes with his writing process anyway, and Oceanside is close enough for him to justify leaving the city he loves.

Although they have disagreements and fight, living together is better than they could have ever imagined. Kurt says he gets much more done now and finds lots of new inspiration. Blaine likes his new school and also Alice finds new friends fast and adapts to the unfamiliar environment.

A few months later, the sixth installment of _“Finn’s Friends_ ” is published. Kurt had refused to let them see anything, so Blaine and Alice only get to read it once it’s released to the general public. There’s a new character who Blaine swears is based off his daughter, but he never gets the truth out of Kurt. It doesn’t matter. They’re happy.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! <3


End file.
